Improving sustainable assessment skills in vocational education

Fastré, G. (2011). Improving sustainable assessment skills in vocational education. Doctoral Thesis. March, 11, 2011, Heerlen, The Netherlands: Open University in the Netherlands.In educational practice, assessment criteria are often formulated on a holistic level, not describing the desired performance students must be able to show. Above that, in schools for secondary vocational education students are often expected to select themselves the appropriate criteria for the learning tasks they are working on from a long list with all possibly relevant criteria. The question arises if students in senior vocational education, and especially novice students, are able to use these broadly formulated assessment criteria and to select the criteria that are applicable to particular learning tasks. This dissertation examines what kind of assessment criteria novice students in the domain of Nursing and Care need in order to develop sustainable assessment skills and to become competent professionals.Regionaal OpleidingsCentrum A12 (ROC A12

Drawing students' attention to relevant assessment criteria: effects on self-assessment skills and performance

Fastré, G. M. J., Van der Klink, M. R., Sluijsmans, D., & Van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (2012). Drawing students’ attention to relevant assessment criteria: effects on self-assessment skills and performance. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 64(2), 185-198. doi:10.1080/13636820.2011.630537A study among nursing and care students in secondary vocational education (N=68). Results indicate that highlighting relevant assessment criteria increase students' task performance but they do experience higher levels of mental effortThis study was sponsored by ROC A12, a Dutch school for secondary vocational educatio

Towards an integrated model for developing sustainable assessment skills

Fastré, G. M. J., Van der Klink, M. R., Sluijsmans, D., & Van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (2013). Towards an integrated model for developing sustainable assessment skills. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 38(5), 611-630. doi:10.1080/02602938.2012.674484This article presents an integrated model for developing sustainable assessment skills: conditions, elements of sustainable assessment and instructional methods conducive for mastering sustainable assessment.This study was sponsored by ROC A12 a Dutch school for secondary vocational educatio

Evaluatie van de transversale acties van de New Deal: operationele partnerschappen voor de tewerkstelling van de Brusselaars?

In 2011 sluiten de sociale partners en de Brusselse regering de New Deal, die ertoe strekt het Brusselse tewerkstellingsbeleid coherenter te maken door middel van partnerschappen tussen de betrokken particuliere en openbare actoren. De evaluatie van dat overheidsbeleid is een primeur in het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest. Het artikel analyseert de conclusies van de evaluatie die werden verkregen via casestudy’s en focusgroepen. Het maakt een operationele balans op van de opgezette coördinatiemechanismen volgens het standpunt van de actoren die betrokken zijn bij de New Deal: wijzen die nieuwe samenwerkingsvormen op het opkomen van een nieuwe vorm van public governance in het Brussels Gewest? Het artikel toont aan dat de veranderingen die de New Deal wil doorvoeren in de governance tussen de Brusselse actoren, gekenmerkt worden door het streven naar transversaliteit van het overheidsbeleid, maar uiteindelijk beperkt worden door de institutionele versnippering die het Pact wil doorbreken. De coördinatiemethode, die te informeel is en te veel afhangt van de actoren, zou versterkt moeten worden om de duurzaamheid van de aanpak te waarborgen en te vermijden dat de coördinatie beperkt blijft tot het louter samenbrengen van actoren.En 2011, partenaires sociaux et gouvernement bruxellois signent le New Deal, visant à renforcer la cohérence de la politique bruxelloise de l’emploi par la voie des partenariats entre les acteurs concernés, privés ou publics. L’évaluation de cette politique publique est une première en Région de Bruxelles-Capitale. Cet article pose un regard réflexif sur ses résultats, obtenus par des études de cas et des focus groups. Il dresse un bilan opérationnel des dispositifs de coordination mis en place, selon le point de vue des acteurs impliqués dans le New Deal : ces nouveaux modes de coopération révèlent-ils l’émergence d’une nouvelle gouvernance publique en Région bruxelloise ? Il montre que les mutations voulues par le New Deal dans la gouvernance entre acteurs bruxellois sont marquées par la volonté de transversalité de l’action publique, mais restent, in fine, limitées par le poids du découpage institutionnel qu’il prétend dépasser. La méthode de coordination, car trop informelle et dépendante des acteurs (ainsi que des personnes) en présence et de leurs moyens, gagnerait à être renforcée, tant pour assurer la pérennisation de la démarche que pour éviter que la coordination ne se résume à une seule juxtaposition d’acteurs.In 2011, social partners and the Brussels government signed the New Deal, aimed at reinforcing the coherence of the Brussels employment policy through partnerships between the stakeholders concerned, both private and public. The evaluation of this public policy is a first in the Brussels-Capital Region. This article takes a reflective look at its results, obtained from case studies and focus groups. It provides an operational overview of the coordination mechanisms which have been implemented, according to the point of view of stakeholders involved in the New Deal: do these new methods of cooperation reveal the emergence of a new public governance in the Brussels Region? It shows that the transformations targeted by the New Deal in the area of governance between stakeholders in Brussels are characterised by the will for the transversality of public intervention, but in the end remain limited by the institutional division which it claims to transcend. The method of coordination, which is too informal and dependent on the stakeholders present – and even on people – and their means, would benefit from reinforcement, to guarantee the continuity of the approach and ensure that coordination is not reduced to a juxtaposition of stakeholders

Affordances and limitations of learning analytics for computer-assisted language learning: a case study of the VITAL project

Learning analytics (LA) has emerged as a field that offers promising new ways to support failing or weaker students, prevent drop-out and aid retention. However, other research suggests that large datasets of learner activity can be used to understand online learning behaviour and improve pedagogy. While the use of LA in language learning has received little attention to date, available research suggests that understanding language learner behaviour could provide valuable insights into task design for instructors and materials designers, as well as help students with effective learning strategies and personalised learning pathways. This paper first discusses previous research in the field of language learning and teaching based on learner tracking and the specific affordances of LA for CALL, as well as its inherent limitations and challenges. The second part of the paper analyses data arising from the European Commission (EC) funded VITAL project that adopted a bottom-up pedagogical approach to LA and implemented learner activity tracking in different blended or distance learning settings. Referring to data arising from 285 undergraduate students on a Business French course at Hasselt University which used a flipped classroom design, statistical and process-mining techniques were applied to map and visualise actual uses of online learning resources over the course of one semester. Results suggested that most students planned their self-study sessions in accordance with the flipped classroom design, both in terms of their timing of online activity and selection of contents. Other metrics measuring active online engagement – a crucial component of successful flipped learning - indicated significant differences between successful and non-successful students. Meaningful learner patterns were revealed in the data, visualising students’ paths through the online learning environment and uses of the different activity types. The research implied that valuable insights for instructors, course designers and students can be acquired based on the tracking and analysis of language learner data and the use of visualisation and process-mining tools

Bird species richness in High-Andean forest fragments : habitat quality and topography matter

Montane forests worldwide are known centers of endemism and biodiversity but are highly threatened by fragmentation processes. Using data collected in 15 Polylepis forest remnants covering 2000 hectares, we investigated how bird species richness and bird community composition, particularly for species of conservation concern, are influenced by habitat quality and topography in the Tunari National Park in the High Andes of Bolivia. Bird species richness was highest in topographically complex, low-elevation Polylepis patches located in areas with a high potential to retain rainwater. Bird communities differed strongly between Polylepis lanata and P. subtusalbida remnants, each supporting different threatened and endemic species. Within the P. subtusalbida forest, high-elevation fragments characterized by high amounts of sunlight and low anthropogenic disturbance were more likely to contain threatened species. Surprisingly, we found no effect of fragment size on the diversity or composition of bird communities or the presence of bird species of conservation concern. The presence of exotic plantations (Pinus and/or Eucalyptus spp.) in or outside forest remnants was negatively associated with the number of bird species as well as with occurrence of the endangered Cochabamba-mountain finch (Compsospiza garleppi). To support the different communities found in Polylepis forests, these results suggest that conservation efforts should be directed towards both forest types (P. subtusalbida and P. lanata) present in the area. For an efficient management of avian diversity, exotic plantations should be established away from native remnants while existing patches should be managed to maintain or increase habitat quality. Finally, the importance of local topography in determining avian species richness and community composition in forest fragments, mainly through topographic controls on moisture distribution and the amount of sunlight received by the fragments, should be considered when planning conservation and reforestation schemes

Évaluation des actions transversales du New Deal : des partenariats opérationnels au service de l’emploi des Bruxellois ?

En 2011, partenaires sociaux et gouvernement bruxellois signent le New Deal, visant à renforcer la cohérence de la politique bruxelloise de l’emploi par la voie des partenariats entre les acteurs concernés, privés ou publics. L’évaluation de cette politique publique est une première en Région de Bruxelles-Capitale. Cet article pose un regard réflexif sur ses résultats, obtenus par des études de cas et des focus groups. Il dresse un bilan opérationnel des dispositifs de coordination mis en place, selon le point de vue des acteurs impliqués dans le New Deal : ces nouveaux modes de coopération révèlent-ils l’émergence d’une nouvelle gouvernance publique en Région bruxelloise ? Il montre que les mutations voulues par le New Deal dans la gouvernance entre acteurs bruxellois sont marquées par la volonté de transversalité de l’action publique, mais restent, in fine, limitées par le poids du découpage institutionnel qu’il prétend dépasser. La méthode de coordination, car trop informelle et dépendante des acteurs (ainsi que des personnes) en présence et de leurs moyens, gagnerait à être renforcée, tant pour assurer la pérennisation de la démarche que pour éviter que la coordination ne se résume à une seule juxtaposition d’acteurs.In 2011 sluiten de sociale partners en de Brusselse regering de New Deal, die ertoe strekt het Brusselse tewerkstellingsbeleid coherenter te maken door middel van partnerschappen tussen de betrokken particuliere en openbare actoren. De evaluatie van dat overheidsbeleid is een primeur in het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest. Het artikel analyseert de conclusies van de evaluatie die werden verkregen via casestudy’s en focusgroepen. Het maakt een operationele balans op van de opgezette coördinatiemechanismen volgens het standpunt van de actoren die betrokken zijn bij de New Deal : wijzen die nieuwe samenwerkingsvormen op het opkomen van een nieuwe vorm van public governance in het Brussels Gewest ? Het artikel toont aan dat de veranderingen die de New Deal wil doorvoeren in de governance tussen de Brusselse actoren, gekenmerkt worden door het streven naar transversaliteit van het overheidsbeleid, maar uiteindelijk beperkt worden door de institutionele versnippering die het Pact wil doorbreken. De coördinatiemethode, die te informeel is en te veel afhangt van de actoren, zou versterkt moeten worden om de duurzaamheid van de aanpak te waarborgen en te vermijden dat de coördinatie beperkt blijft tot het louter samenbrengen van actoren.In 2011, social partners and the Brussels government signed the New Deal, aimed at reinforcing the coherence of the Brussels employment policy through partnerships between the stakeholders concerned, both private and public. The evaluation of this public policy is a first in the Brussels-Capital Region. This article takes a reflective look at its results, obtained from case studies and focus groups. It provides an operational overview of the coordination mechanisms which have been implemented, according to the point of view of stakeholders involved in the New Deal: do these new methods of cooperation reveal the emergence of a new public governance in the Brussels Region? It shows that the transformations targeted by the New Deal in the area of governance between stakeholders in Brussels are characterised by the will for the transversality of public intervention, but in the end remain limited by the institutional division which it claims to transcend. The method of coordination, which is too informal and dependent on the stakeholders present – and even on people – and their means, would benefit from reinforcement, to guarantee the continuity of the approach and ensure that coordination is not reduced to a juxtaposition of stakeholders